Apocalypse Explained # 1186
1186. And no craftsman of whatsoever craft shall be found in thee any more, signifies no more wisdom, intelligence, or knowledge. This is evident from the signification of "craftsman of whatsoever craft," as being everything belonging to the understanding, consequently wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge, for these belong to the understanding, the inmost of which is wisdom, the middle intelligence, and the lowest is knowledge. This is the signification of "craftsman of whatsoever craft," because these are endowments of the understanding, and its endowments are signified by "crafts." As these are signified by "crafts," so in the Word where the construction of the tabernacle is treated of, also the garments of Aaron, which were of gold, blue, purple, scarlet double-dyed, and fine twined linen, it is said that they were to be the work of the "craftsman," elsewhere "a work of a contriver" (Exodus 26:1, 31; 28:6; 39:8; and elsewhere). The things of which these were made, and which are here mentioned, signify things of wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge; therefore of Bezaleel and Oholiab, who were the craftsmen, and who made these things, it is said:
They were filled with wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge (Exodus 31:3; 36:1-2).
[2] That "craftsman" signifies intelligence from what is one's own [proprium] is evident in Hosea:
They make them a molten image of their silver, and idols in their intelligence, all of it the work of the craftsmen (Hosea 13:2).
"Molten image" and "idol" signify worship according to doctrine that is from self-intelligence; "silver" signifies the falsity from which such doctrine comes; therefore it is said "that in their intelligence they make them an idol, all of it the work of craftsmen." So in Isaiah:
The craftsman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth chains of silver; he seeketh a wise craftsman (Isaiah 40:19-20).
And in Jeremiah:
Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the founder, hyacinthine and garments, all of it the work of the wise (Jeremiah 10:3, 9).
Here and in many passages elsewhere self-intelligence is described by "idols," and "sculptured and molten images" (See n. 587, 827).
(Continuation)
[3] End, mediate causes, and effect, are called also the chief end, intermediate ends, and the final end. Intermediate and final ends are called ends, because the chief end produces them, is everything in them, is their esse and is their soul. The chief end is the will's love in man, the intermediate ends are subordinate loves, and the final end is the love of the will existing as it were in its effigy. As the chief end is the love of the will it follows that intermediate ends, being subordinate loves, are foreseen, provided, and produced through the understanding, and that the final end is the use foreseen, provided, and produced by the love of the will through the understanding, for everything that love produces is a use. This must be premised in order that what has just been said may be perceived, namely, that eminence and riches may be blessings or that they may be curses.
Exodus 27
1
"You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and its height shall be three cubits.
2
You shall make its horns on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it; and you shall overlay it with brass.
3
You shall make its pots to take away its ashes, its shovels, its basins, its flesh hooks, and its fire pans: all its vessels you shall make of brass.
4
You shall make a grating for it of network of brass: and on the net you shall make four bronze rings in its four corners.
5
You shall put it under the ledge around the altar beneath, that the net may reach halfway up the altar.
6
You shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with brass.
7
Its poles shall be put into the rings, and the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar, when carrying it.
8
You shall make it with hollow planks. They shall make it as it has been shown you on the mountain.
9
"You shall make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen one hundred cubits long for one side:
10
and its pillars shall be twenty, and their sockets twenty, of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.
11
Likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings one hundred cubits long, and its pillars twenty, and their sockets twenty, of brass; the hooks of the pillars, and their fillets, of silver.
12
For the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits; their pillars ten, and their sockets ten.
13
The breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits.
14
The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
15
For the other side shall be hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
16
For the gate of the court shall be a screen of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the embroiderer; their pillars four, and their sockets four.
17
All the pillars of the court around shall be filleted with silver; their hooks of silver, and their sockets of brass.
18
The length of the court shall be one hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty every where, and the height five cubits, of fine twined linen, and their sockets of brass.
19
All the instruments of the tabernacle in all its service, and all its pins, and all the pins of the court, shall be of brass.
20
"You shall command the children of Israel, that they bring to you pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually.
21
In the Tent of Meeting, outside the veil which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall keep it in order from evening to morning before Yahweh: it shall be a statute forever throughout their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.
